Mason Greenwood has scored 12 goals in 58 Premier League games
Mason Greenwood shouldn’t be judged just on his goal, said Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the teen took a comeback win over Brighton.
The 19-year-old headed his first Premier League goal this season at Old Trafford after Paul Pogba’s volley jumped into the ground.
It was his first in the league since May 2020 and his sixth goal in 40 appearances in all competitions that season, a campaign that began with him sent home from a warehouse in England after violating the Covid guidelines.
“If he scores these goals we know he will add another dimension to his game,” said Solskjaer, who could do without striker Anthony Martial the rest of the season due to injury.
“The world is so excited about statistics and this and that these days.
“The boy played fantastic [during] the last two or three months and has really come. If he keeps learning and improving he’ll score more points – he’s a deadly finisher. “
Brighton took the lead early on when former United striker Danny Welbeck reacted the fastest after his first header was saved and nodded off from close range.
Not for the first time this season, however, United improved from a sluggish opening phase to winning the second.
Marcus Rashford equalized as he opened his body and rolled an excellent shot into the corner after Bruno Fernandes’ sack, before Greenwood’s winner eight minutes from time.
The result gives United an 11-point cushion in the battle for the top four, although West Ham and Everton could cut that to eight if they both win their games in hand.
Henderson gets the nod from De Gea
Man Utd 2-1 Brighton: We “found a way” in the second half, says Solskjaer
Ultimately, this game can be seen as more important to what happened before than what happened in it.
In preparation, Solskjaer said his two goalkeepers would play games before the end of the season.
The choice of Dean Henderson over David de Gea, however, seemed significant.
Henderson played in six consecutive games just before international break after De Gea returned to Spain to give birth to his first child.
Against Brighton, however, there was no reason De Gea should have paused for any reason other than manager Solskjaer’s preference.
It has been evident for some time that the current situation was unsustainable for the next season and now United could face the difficult problem of trying to sell their highest earner when each club’s finances are tight.
Still, Henderson has to justify his place.
The Englishman could not be blamed for Welbeck’s goal as he was remarkably good at keeping out the first attempt.
Not long after, spilling a routine cross – which required intervention from Harry Maguire to remove the danger – was a concern, however.
Henderson was a bystander when Lewis Dunk cut the bar when Brighton tried to extend his lead, but the calm manner in which he handled the reduced work available to him after the break offers no obvious reason why Solskjaer should regret his decision.
Welbeck injured his old club again
It has been almost seven years since Welbeck left Old Trafford with a £ 16m transfer for Arsenal.
A string of injuries prevented the 30-year-old from delivering on the promise he made in his founding years at United, but he has been a regular nuisance to his old club.
Today’s effort was his fourth goal against them, all but one of which came on this floor.
His reaction to the goal – the first time Brighton had been at the helm at Old Trafford since 1983 – was impressive and Welbeck was convinced he should have scored a penalty in the second half when he was nudged by Maguire as he was tried to give Brighton the lead again. The ball rolled over the goal in agony.
It is clear that time goes on. Now it’s Greenwood trying to create a future for Manchester United and England.
With Martial eliminated, Rashford battling shoulder and knee injuries and Edinson Cavani battling for form, Greenwood may face United’s attack in the final weeks of the season.
He fired a shot against the post for the first time at the start of this competition and although his six goals this season are well below 17 last year, Solskjaer will welcome the confidence he will gain from this contribution.
“De Gea will definitely play for us again” – what they said
Brighton manager Graham Potter believes his team should have received a penalty.
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told BBC Sport: “It’s always difficult to play against Brighton. We got good results and we had to earn them the hard way. We found a way in the second half.”
“Mason [Greenwood] was ripe. Today he was one of our smartest players. It was clean, it was neat, and it got the goal. It’s a header in the six yard box and that’s what we need more from Mason. “
When choosing Henderson over De Gea: “I have two great goalkeepers, two number one. David de Gea spent a while at home and then had international matches so he hadn’t played for about a month. He will definitely play football for us again.”
Brighton boss Graham Potter told BBC Sport: “We made a good contribution to the game. We took the lead and were probably the most threatened team in the first half. We just missed that final pass.”
“Manchester United reacted in the second half without creating too many chances. They didn’t score too many goals.”
“When it was live I thought it was a punishment [on Welbeck] then it is arguably the clear and obvious debate.
“If Mike Dean had existed, VAR probably wouldn’t have overridden it. In the end there is nothing we can do. We’re disappointed that we don’t get any of it.”
Comeback Kings – The Statistics
- Manchester United have beaten Brighton twice in the Premier League this season, despite conceding the first time in both games, only the second time in a season against an opponent, including against Southampton in the 2012/13 season.
- Brighton remained without a win against Manchester United in 13 attempts in all competitions (D2 L11) away.
- Manchester United have gained 25 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season, nine more than any other team. Brighton has lost 20 points from winning positions, three more than anyone else.
- Manchester United have won eight Premier League games after conceding their first goal this season – only Newcastle United (2001-02) and Manchester United (2012-13) have won more such games in one season (nine each).
- Brighton’s Danny Welbeck became the first player to score three Premier League goals against Manchester United after appearing in competition for the club. His other two goals against them came in February 2016 and May 2017 for Arsenal.
- Only Wayne Rooney (15) and Marcus Rashford (13) have scored more Premier League goals for Manchester United than Mason Greenwood (12) as teenagers.
- The 2020-21 season is only the second season in which two players who previously played for Manchester United in the Premier League (Wilfried Zaha and Danny Welbeck) faced Dion Dublin and Mark Hughes alongside the 1997/98 season it.
- Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has been involved in more Premier League goals than anyone since his debut (42-24 goals, 18 assists).
What’s next?
Manchester United will play the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals against Spanish club Granada on Thursday (8:00 p.m. CET) before heading to Tottenham on Sunday (4:30 p.m.).
Brighton welcomes Everton for a week on Monday (8:15 p.m.).
Constellations
Man Utd
formation 4-2-3-1
26thHenderson
29Wan-Bissaka2Lindelöf5Maguire23Shaw
6thPogba17thFred
11Greenwood18thBruno Fernandes10Rashford
7thCavani
- 26thHenderson
- 29Wan-Bissaka
- 2Lindelöf
- 5Maguire
- 23Shaw
- 6thPogbaReplaced byMcTominayat the 84 ‘protocol
- 17thFred
- 11GreenwoodBooked at 89 minutes
- 18thBruno Fernandes
- 10RashfordReplaced byJamesat the 72 ‘protocol
- 7thCavaniBooked at 63 minutesReplaced byvan de Beekat the 82 ‘protocol
replacement
- 1de Gea
- 13thGrant
- 19thDiallo
- 21James
- 31Matic
- 33Williams
- 34van de Beek
- 38Let us begin
- 39McTominay
Brighton
formation 3-4-1-2
26thSánchez
3rdWhite5Dunk34Veltman
13thBig14thLallana8thBissouma15thModer
11Trossard
9Maupay18thWelbeck
- 26thSánchez
- 3rdWhiteBooked at 66 minutes
- 5Dunk
- 34Veltman
- 13thBigBooked at 42 minutes
- 14thLallanaReplaced byZeqiriat the 87 ‘protocol
- 8thBissouma
- 15thModerReplaced byJahanbakhshat the 87 ‘protocol
- 11TrossardReplaced byMac Allisterat the 63 ‘protocol
- 9Maupay
- 18thWelbeck
replacement
- 6thKarbownik
- 10Mac Allister
- 16Jahanbakhsh
- 17thRaising
- 19thLeft
- 23Steele
- 24Pröpper
- 25thCaicedo
- 29Zeqiri
Live text
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End of the game, Manchester United 2, Brighton and Hove Albion 1.
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The second half ends with Manchester United 2, Brighton and Hove Albion 1.
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Away from Brighton and Hove Albion. Pascal Groß tries a through pass, but Lewis Dunk is offside.
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Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. The corner was created by Luke Shaw.
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Scott McTominay (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Foul by Daniel James (Manchester United).
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Joël Veltman (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Daniel James (Manchester United).
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Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton & Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Mason Greenwood (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card.
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Foul by Daniel James (Manchester United).
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Joël Veltman (Brighton & Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Fred (Manchester United).
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Neal Maupay (Brighton & Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Andi Zeqiri replaces Adam Lallana.
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Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Alireza Jahanbakhsh replaces Jakub Moder.
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Luke Shaw (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Ben White (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Substitution, Manchester United. Scott McTominay replaces Paul Pogba.
